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Monday, September 15, 2014

Review of "Somebody to Love" by Kristan Higgins

So it has been a long time since I felt like writing a
review of a book, let alone a contemporary romance review. A few weekends ago I needed something to read
so I checked out the MaineInfo Download Library. I came across a Kristan Higgins book set here
in Maine. I have been meaning to read
one of her books since last year when I heard her speak at the RWA
conference. I was even lucky enough to
ride to the airport with her and her husband.

I don’t even remember the last time that I read a contemporary
romance. I have pretty much been
sticking to paranormal/urban fantasy and historical romance genres.

I decided to pick “Somebody to Love” to download seeing that
it takes place in a small Maine coastal town.
This is the third book in her Gideon’s Cove series, but I didn't feel
like I was missing much by not having read the first or second book in the
series.

We meet Parker Harrington, reading from her wildly
successful, children’s series “The Holy Rollers.” The premise is that six children who have
died come back to Earth as angels and travel around via magical roller skates,
thus the “Holy Rollers”. She has just
finished writing the last book in the series. The books are so sweet that even she is
nauseated by her books. She can’t
believe that she invented the term “Warm Fuzzles.” The only reason that she
kept writing the series is that all of the profits go to a charity for
children, seeing that Parker comes from money, with a capital “M”.

That is about to change.
Her father is going away to prison for insider trading, and he had to
empty Parker’s and her son’s trust funds to make restitution. Her father, accompanied by his lawyers (which
Parker refers to as “Thing 1” and “Thing 2”) informs her of her new situation
the night before he enters federal prison.
Also she needs to move out of the family mansion, seeing that it has
been sold. She is informed by “Thing 1”
or James that she does own property up in Gideon’s Cove, Maine.

She had forgotten
that an elderly relative had left her a house, so she hopes that she might able
to sell it and make a profit to buy a house back in Rhode Island. While her son is on vacation with his dad,
she decides to head to Maine and flip her house. When she arrives in Maine she finds that her “cottage”
is more or less a seaside shanty. Shortly after she arrives in Maine, James or “Thing
1,” arrives to help her renovate the house.
And this is where the fun begins, Parker thinks that the only reason that
James is there is the fact that he is being paid. He is in fact out of a job
and figures that he might as well help Parker, plus he has feeling for her.

This was over all a fun, light, and funny read. Ms. Higgins crafts likable funny and
realistic characters. You complete
believe where the two main characters are coming from. So if you haven’t read a contemporary romance
in a while I would suggest picking up one of Ms. Higgins books.